


We're Older Now

by RosevalleyNB



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Light-Hearted, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, continuation of a series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25092724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosevalleyNB/pseuds/RosevalleyNB
Summary: After years of not speaking to each other, Katie and Marcus revive their old friendship.A continuation of an older one-shotseries.
Relationships: Katie Bell/Marcus Flint
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	We're Older Now

**Author's Note:**

> A long, long time ago I wrote a series of one-shot called [When We Were Young](https://my-fic-depot.livejournal.com/tag/longfic%3A%20when%20we%20were%20young). I had always meant to continue it, but then life happened.
> 
> Well, I'm back now and these two deserve closure. This will come in at least 8, but most likely in 10 chapters. I hope you enjoy. As usual your feedback, praise or concrit, is always welcome. 
> 
> Not betaed.

“You must be so excited to have a roommate again!” twittered the overly cheery Mediwitch as she fluffed up the pillows on the empty bed in the room that soon would be occupied with the newest guest of the Janus Thickey Ward. “You’re a lucky bird. I hear he’s a Quidditch player. Which one do you reckon he is?”

Katie Bell hummed politely, crumbling the last of her toast onto her plate. Too tired to listen, she had not registered what the woman was saying. She preferred to watch the snowflakes dancing in the wind outside. Or, at least, that was what the enchanted window would have her believe. She’d learnt last week that her only connection to the outdoors was nothing but an illusion to keep her from going completely bonkers.

She had been at St Mungo’s Hospital for more than three months already after an unfortunate run-in with a package she, for the life of her, couldn’t remember accepting in the first place. For nearly half of those three months, she’d been in a deep enough coma that the Healers had told her parents to start making funeral arrangement. Luckily enough, she’d woken up shortly before New Year’s, and since the last two weeks, the Healers had ordered her to get out of bed and shuffle around in her room as much as possible to regain her strength.

Healing did not come quickly nor easily. Every fibre in Katie’s body still hurt, her legs felt too wobbly to walk for long stretches, and nightmares that even Dreamless Sleep Potion could not stave off plagued her dreams whenever she dozed off. The utter despair of a soul-crushing loss kept her awake long after waking up screaming. Only her parents’ daily visits allowed her to fall into a fitful sleep because only then she knew that they at least were safe.

“You reckon he’ll give out autographs once he feels better again?”

“Wot?” Katie tore her eyes off the window and slowly turned to the Mediwitch, who was standing closer than she’d expected. When did she get here? “Sorry, whose autograph?”

The Mediwitch, Doreen, sighed and groaned good-heartedly. “That Quidditch player I’ve been telling you about? Tutshill’s new Chaser? The poor lad got attacked after last night’s match by unhappy Portree fans,” she said as she cleaned up the remains of Katie’s breakfast. “I’ve always said Portree were sore losers, I did. Those arseholes got the poor boy good. Kept the Healers busy for most of the night. I hear your dad worked on him too, seems like….”

But Katie didn’t hear the last part. Still confused and her head swimming with the information fired at her, she muttered something unintelligible and tried to hide underneath her duvet. Unfortunately, Doreen was having none of it and pulled down again. Having no other choice than to make conversation, Katie asked with a sigh, “Oh-kay… What’s it to me?”

“What’s it to you?” Frowning in worry, Doreen put her hand on Katie’s forehead and shone a light in her eyes. When she was confident that her patient wasn’t suffering from a sudden bout of fever, she tutted in disappointment. “Haven’t you listened to a word I’ve been saying?”

An indignant ‘no’ was already on Katie’s lips, but she changed her mind. Maybe, if she played her cards, she could get out of physical therapy today. “Sorry, Dory, I don’t feel too good,” she said pitifully and coughed as she hastily pulled the duvet up to her chin. “What were you saying?”

“You’re finally getting company,” said Doreen, cocking her head at the only other bed in the room. Then, without warning, she pulled the duvet off Katie. “And, ah, didn’t think you can get out of it. A hundred steps first, love. I have all day.”

* * *

“Ninety-four, ninety-five!” Doreen cheered on, clapping her hands. “You’re almost there, love, keep on going!”

“Motherfucking... bleeding...” said Katie panting as she leant against the wall. She hated this part, the daily confirmation of how weak she’d become. Dammit, she couldn’t even curse properly to convey her frustration because sometimes even thinking for more than a few seconds to come up with the right curses drained her of all her energy these days. Walking around like the Healers and her dad had ordered would surely kill her.

“C’mon, five more! You can do it!”

Katie glared at the woman, trying her best to bite her tongue but ultimately failing at it. “You do it if you think it’s that easy,” she snapped, realising too late how ridiculous she must have sounded. It was that easy for Doreen, after all. “Sorry,” she mumbled in a half-arsed apology.

Luckily, Doreen just laughed and resumed sheering her on again. Just as Katie wanted to take another step, a sudden commotion in the hallway broke her concentration. Her step faltered, and if Doreen hadn’t had popped up right next to her, she was sure that she would’ve fallen.

“They’re here! Quick, let’s get you into bed, love. We’ll catch those last five steps tonight after supper, alright?”

Although thankful that the daily exercise was cut short, Katie was still grumbling under her breath when she flopped down onto her bed. Seconds later, the door to the hospital room was slammed open. One glance in the direction of the door opening was enough to make Katie pull up her duvet up to her ears.

A handful of loud reporters, barely kept at bay by disgruntled looking security wizards, were firing questions at anyone and everyone, their flashing cameras held up in the air as a bed was wheeled into the room. Even without the blinding flashes, it was difficult to distinguish the patient from the hordes of Healers (she recognised her dad as one of them), Mediwitches, and what looked like Aurors standing around the bed. They were all talking to the man (at least, according to Doreen the lump underneath the covers was one) but no one took a minute to listen. Then again, Katie was sure that the bloke hadn’t said a single word in return.

Safely hidden underneath her duvet, Katie took her time to study her new roommate. Something about the man, a familiarity she couldn’t immediately place piqued her curiosity.

Brief glimpses revealed that thick bandages were wrapped around his head and left eye. His otherwise bare chest was also wrapped, the bandages still a bit bloodied even. A mop of wavy black hair stuck out in every direction. Her breath hitched when another flash completely illuminated him. He somehow must have heard her above the ruckus because he turned his face towards her, his bloodshot, teary eye blinking rapidly as he studied her back.

The man kept staring at her, which made her heartbeat rise to unhealthy heights. Her face flushed and goose pimples rose on her arms and legs. She knew him, how could she forget?

For the first time since waking up, Katie felt something else than fatigue, annoyance, and pain.

_Liar._

The man kept his eye on her. His head tilted a little, almost as if he was trying to figure something out. To Katie’s growing chagrin, he suddenly cocked his head and smiled.

_How dare he?_

“Are you alright, son?” her own father of all people asked, noticing the change in his patient.

_Marcus Flint is a liar._

Katie’s throat clenched and angry tears pricked her eyes when the patient, Marcus _sodding_ Flint, slowly lifted his arm and pointed at her, grinning broadly now. “Ka- Beh.”

Katie began to see red at those two clumsily spoken words, sure that he was mocking her. Well, she wouldn’t stand for it. Not anymore. “You bleeding arsehole!”

A pillow flew through the air and hit Flint square in the face, making him stumble backwards. It caused another round of consternation and fussing, but Katie couldn’t care less. She drew the curtains around her bed and hid underneath her covers. And for the first time since waking, she cried, deep, shoulder-shaking sobs that she couldn’t stop even if she wanted to.

For the first time since waking up, Katie felt genuinely sorry for herself, for all the pain and hurt and the misery a simple necklace had caused her. But mostly, for the first time in nearly seven years, Katie cried and mourned the loss of a friendship that had been so dear to her.


End file.
